The Heart of a Wolf
by Redonix
Summary: Hate breeds war, which feeds its curses so death can rule a thorny court. Canis, the ruler of Grimm Forest, refuses to yield to the conditions of her own curse: Accept mankind as is, or forever remain human. What will it take for the king of a warring land to convince this stubborn alpha that not every human is horrible? [Fantasy AU]


Rays of dying fire slid gold tinted fingers between broad leaves, landing as tender shafts on the forest floor. Decaying moss rose up thick oakwoods, mingling with the thriving ferns at the bottom. It circled the quiet glen almost protectively, and even though it was useless in this state, Sugawara liked to think the moss acted as a protective barrier against evil spirits. Though the only thing evil about Grimm Forest was the malicious seeds of hatred sewn into its inhabitants hearts.

Still, it was nice feeling, safety was.

As he looked around at the growing shadows, shifting anxiously from foot to foot to break the silence with the dead crunch beneath him, he couldn't stop the dread that slithered down his spine. Suga clutched at the staff by his side with one hand while drawing his cloak closer to his body. Even though he was at the edge of the forest, not even the dying light of the sun could do more than puncture through sparse gaps in the mammoth sized trees to illuminate his surroundings; even with the weak light wry shadows were cast upon the trees, conjuring terrible images of lurking beasts.

Sugawara blinked, straining his eyes against the gloom. He wasn't imagining it―the shadows were actually moving. Slowly but surely surrounding the border of his glen, a sad copse of trees honestly, were wild things. From gold to deep amber, eyes glowed in the failing light. They reminded him of the lamps that were no doubt being lit around this time at home. For a brief moment Sugawara swallowed away the rising tension in his chest and thought of the place he loved so dearly.

Children ran down cobblestone paths―the same ones he used to play on when he was younger, before the world grew too complex―laughter and delighted shrieks filling the air; racing to play in the brook, or running away from an angry baker with arms laden with sweets. The Tavernhall that would light like a beacon once night hit, the best ale brewed with only the finest barley around, and the bawdy tunes sung by the drunk and sober alike. Green pastures, the wishing well in the center of the town, and the clover fields he would spend hours in looking for four-leaves. The friends he'd known since childhood―sweet, kind Asahi; his honorable King, Daichi; and the beautiful Kiyoko. The young warriors at the palace, who he had come to think of as family. All of it. Everyone. Sugawara loved them so.

But in his mind's eye everything darkened.

Instead of running from the baker in giddy spirits, children were screaming and crying as they ran from flames and the harsh glint of bloodstained steel. Black smoke billowed and poured from every open crevice within the Tavernhall; old wood creaking and groaning with each greedy smack of scarlet tongues, the roof collapsing inwards and trapping those that remained with ear splitting howls, and the unmistakeable scent of burning flesh cloyed the air. The green pastures and the clover field became scarred and trampled, and no amount of wishing upon the old well could turn back time to prevent the death and destruction it witnessed. And when Sugawara, standing in the middle of all this chaos, turned his head, the only thing that could be seen mile after mile, was a mass of unmarked graves.

His kingdom.

His home.

Conquered and ruined.

The premonition had plagued him in the dead of night, no moon or stars to ward off the pitch or the stench of death that still seemed to cling to him. At first he had simply tried to reason with himself that it had just been a nightmare, a result of working too hard. There hadn't been a massive war between the nations in _decades_. The peace had scarce been disrupted, save for small skirmishes over insignificant plots of land between borders. There was no _possible reason_ for war to break out. Or so he had deluded himself.

Festering wounds create hatred and breed war, which feeds its curses, and Death rules a kingdom from a thorny court.

The hearts of mortals were weak, and often subject to such a devastating process. Evil seeds could be planted at any time, for any reason, and conflict could find meaning in its name again. Sugawara knew this only all too well, and after the dream had occurred again he knew it could not be ignored.

Though his premonitions were only half the picture―never telling time or giving a reason as to why―Suga was determined to put a stop to it before it became a reality. After an exhausting council with the king it had been decided that he and two of their quickest messengers would split off to assure, and if necessary, assuage, that there were no problems among the other nations. While his younger companions had taken to their allies, Fukurodani and Nekoma, he was tasked with diplomacy concerning the lands beyond Grimm Forest.

A rough, low chorus of growls emanated outside the circle of trees. It almost sounded like harsh whispering to Sugawara.

He knew travel wouldn't be easy. If he were certain that the time were available to him then he would have gladly taken the Sea route, but time was never truly a definite thing. The only true and direct way to reach the nearest country, Aoba Johsai, was through Grimm Forest. But the wolves had long since banned humans passage through their territory for reasons of their own, and trespassers most often did not survive an encounter with them when found. Unless he could convince the Alpha, someone he'd once been friends with, then he wasn't certain he'd beat the statistics either―wizard or not.

A dry twig snapped to his right and his eyes flew open. The sunlight was almost gone now, and more of the lamp-like orbs had gathered around his shelter, waiting. Suga reached into his satchels and blindly felt inside for the right crystal. His fingers, so lightly trembling, brushed against the smooth exterior of his luminous gem. Gratefully, he pulled it out and and shoved it into the crevice on top of his staff. The sudden brilliance of white light blinded him and every being in his immediate surroundings.

A light breeze, such a slight shift in the air just behind him, ruffled the hairs on his neck. Sugawara dove to the center of the glen, whirling to face the beast that stepped forth from the shadows with a menacing snarl.

The musk of the creature, though only a few meters away from him, assaulted his nose. He had smelled something akin to this scent plenty of times before, at home―the smell of a dog was hard to forget after all―but there was a different feel that accompanied this scent. It made the wolf in front of him seem older, more _natural_. Dangerous. Rainwater from storms and streams called to mind power. Dark soil with which to sleep, tussle, and hide a scent was firmness, stability. And the most prominent stench of all―blood, fresh from a hunt; ruthless. It grew stronger with each long stride the wolf took towards him, cloying his senses. The wolf, a female and the Alpha, didn't hesitate to step in the light, lips curled back to reveal her displeasure with stained teeth. A storm swirled in her fur, rippling with every conscious and subconscious movement of her muscles, and eyes the color of a sun-dappled leaf stared at him with undiluted loathing.

Sugawara respectfully dipped his head in the she-wolf's direction. "Canis."

' _What are you doing here, Sugawara?_ ' The taut, disembodied voice echoed harshly in his mind. Suga balked, swallowing past a newly formed lump in his throat. ' _You know human passage is forbidden here_.'

"Canis, please," he started softly. "I need to get to the lands beyond Grimm as quick as possible. There is a matter I must resolve before it becomes a problem."

' _Tch. Go around the forest then. The law will not change for you._ '

Sweat began to bead on his upper lip and he hastily licked it away. Suga opened his stance a little bit more to show that he meant no harm.

"Please," he repeated. "I promise that I will stick to the path! That I won't disrupt anything! I just need to make it to the other side and―"

' _Enough_!' Canis barked, and the shadows all around stiffened. Suga jumped, his limbs working faster than his mind, swinging the staff in a wide arc to ward the creeping wolves away just before pointing it at the Alpha's snout. Suga's heart thundered in his ears.

If they had been willing to let him leave alive before, then they most certainly wouldn't allow for it now.

Even so, he now had the upper hand for the time being.

"Canis Major I ask of you to just _listen to me_!" Air whistled harshly through his nostrils as he stared down the Alpha. "I am requesting passage through Grimm Forest _now_ if I am to prevent the future from becoming reality. War is brewing on the horizons. War which will not only reach Karasuno and every other nation on this side of the forest, but will be forced to go through _you_ as well.

"You may be able to ward off small bands of human soldiers at a time, but not even the mightiest of wolves could stand up to an army. You know as well as I do that if either Seijoh or Shiratorizawa were to declare war then they would not hesitate to pass through Grimm and destroy it."

Canis gnashed her teeth as she said, ' _You humans are all the same: Weak as rabbits and foolish as a Mockingbird. It doesn't matter how many of you there are, if any set foot in our forest then we'll make sure you'll never have a need for it again.'_

Sugawara bowed his head in frustration. "You call humans the foolish ones and yet here you are, not listening to reason. Whether it be a wolf or a man that is making the decision no one can escape the consequences. But there is the chance that we can change them, which is what I'm asking you to help me do by granting me passage through Grimm!"

' _No!_ ' The she-wolf slowly began to circle him, dropping into a crouch. ' _You may have once been our friend, but things have changed. Be you a human or a wizard, it matters not―mortals are forbidden passage through Grimm.'_

"Mortals? _Mortals?_ " The light at the tip of the staff flared in reaction to his energy. His entire being shook as he struggled to remain calm. "Has your pride consumed you so much to the point that you no longer think you are a mortal being as well? Do you not think your life will come to just a quick of an end as mine?"

' _Well yours will certainly be over sooner_.'

The wolves began tightening their ranks, weaving between each other in a mass of mottled fur as they drew closer. Suga frantically looked around. Every direction he looked, every escape route he found he didn't have, left him realizing he was more trapped than even a rat. The rapid beating of his heart swelled. He clenched his staff, so tight that his bones were visible through the skin.

And then he began to yell.

"Listen to me Canis! Hate breeds war, which will only create more hatred. That hate will feed into the curses in your heart and you could lose _everything_. Put aside your animosity towards the human race long enough to let me pass, and I can fix things before they happen. If I cannot settle things then―"

' _Enough! I've humored you long enough due to your past with us, but no more. You are trespassing on our land, and for that you must suffer the consequences!_ '

He barely had time to duck as she lunged at him. A guttural cry shattered the air as the alpha howled. Wolf after wolf joined in, filling the air with the unnatural baying of large animals. Sugawara fumbled with the contents of his back, dropping most of it in his haste, and pulled out a small, grey sphere. He sadly glanced behind him before throwing the object to the ground. It exploded in a plume of smoke just as an enormous wolf charged forward.

Wind tore through his clothes, scratching his body, pulling his hair only to fling it back into his face as he ran. A war cry resonated behind him. The howl was repeated continuously, rolling over one after another until it was one long wave in constant motion. Sugawara stumbled over a root and he could've sworn he felt hot breath tickle his exposed ankle. As if he'd grown wings, he shot forward and propelled himself beyond the trees; low-hanging branches extended clawed fingers, nicking his face as he madly weaved for the treeline, praying the wolves would chase him no further than to the edge of the forest.

A shadow jumped at him from the left and he twisted around just in time to block the animal. What he wasn't counting on, though, was the weight of the creature being too much for him to bear. He and the wolf both went down snarling. Sugawara struggled as he fought it off, nails digging into his unarmored chest, a great gaping maw that opened wider than his head struggling to bite through his staff to get to his most vulnerable parts. A sickening crunch gurgled within a his chest and he cried out. With a mighty heave he tossed the wolf to the side and rolled onto his feet, wheezing.

Silver shafts poked between the spaces in the trees and beyond that he could almost glimpse open land. Sugawara began to sigh in relief, picking himself up and running forward on legs turned to rubber, when _she_ appeared out of thin air.

Canis let loose a short, triumphant bark as she dived at his exposed side.

Her teeth were like hot iron, pulled fresh from the flame, digging into his flesh and tearing through delicate muscle without remorse. They crashed into the nearest tree yelping and growling at each other. He raised his staff and slammed into the wolf's skull―the release both immediate and painful as hell as the she-wolf tore out a chunk of his side. Dark spots filled his vision and before he knew it, the edge of the forest was vanishing from his sight. Sugawara gasped and blindly began to crawl away.

' _You're through, Sugawara_ ,' Canis hissed. ' _Even if you were to make it beyond the border you would die before you reached someone that could help you. Not even your own magic would be capable of healing that._ '

She was right. Even now he could feel his life pulsing its way out of his body. Even if he could somehow staunch the bleeding in his side long enough to make it to the closest village his body would quit long before he did. He could feel it, the flood slowly building up inside him. A rib had broken in his tussle with the other wolf, and as it had been scratching him on the surface it's big paw had knocked the rib out of place and into his lung. He took a deep breath and coughed up blood. It dribbled down his chin and onto the grimy surface below, feeling no more different than if he were simply drooling.

"I can't give up," he mumbled. "I won't give up."

His entire life played before his eyes―the good, the bad, the best moments he'd ever experienced. The laughter and the joy, his friends and family, the people of his kingdom―he couldn't fail them. Not now when everything depended on him.

And yet, as he fell back against a tree gasping through the pain, he was failing them.

Sugawara rolled his head to the left, the blurry outline of freedom so close and yet so terribly far away. He pathetically tried to reach for it, lifting his hand up into the moonlight.

The she-wolf approached him.

"I'm sorry Daichi," he whispered. "I've doomed us all."

' _I wish it had not come to this, Sugawara, but the law is the law._ '

"Forgive me as well, Tadashi. This is a burden I wished to keep you from bearing for as long as possible." Suga clenched his fist. It glowed with the silver of the moonlight, racing down his arm, washing over his aching body. "Now it's up to you to keep the kingdom safe…"

' _What are you― Stop!_ '

Canis lept forward and he held out his palm. The moonlight engulfed the Alpha as well, keeping her frozen in place. They stared each other down, the only thing disrupting the eery calm was his ragged breathing. As they watched, waited, Sugawara gradually began to splinter away, his body pulling apart and drifting into the sky like stars returning to the heavens.

"Canis Major," he croaked. "Know that I do not hold any of this against you. I still consider you my friend."

The wolf's fur began to recede back into the flesh. Her snout melted away, reshaping itself with the rest of her changing body. Canis vainly struggled against the moonlight bonds, howling. Calling for aid.

"But because of the hatred in your heart you have cursed yourself. Now, as payment for your deeds, you must become the thing you despise the most. The only way to undo your own curse is to accept humans as they are, or else forever live the rest of your life as one."

She snarled at him. ' _Never! I'll never―'_ Her denials were cut short and she yelped, the tenor of her voice softening, growing human. Canis glared at him through lidded eyes, the shining gold dimming.

His body's fragmenting sped up. The more human Canis became, the less of him remained.

Sugawara rested his head against the tree behind him. The rough wood scratched the back of his neck, and he was reminded of a time in his childhood where he would do nothing but rest beneath the trees on hot summer days, sleeping, watching the clouds, laughing with his best friends. The night of reality slipped away and his hand fell to the ground. He could feel the sunshine's heat now. When he looked up he saw Daichi in the tree, grinning down at him as he said something. His lips moved to respond, and he looked over to see Asahi's worried face as he called up to the other boy, begging him to be careful.

He breathed in once, holding that breath for as long as he could before exhaling, and relaxed into the warmth of another summer's day.

As he breathed his last sigh Canis howled to the sky, clawing at a naked body with hands that were not her paws. A gentle breeze pulled through the forest and blew through Sugawara, sending him back to the sky above.

Free at last.

 **{ ❌ }**

A bitter wind raced through the air, tugging at a few stubborn leaves that still clung to life on the oakwoods of Grimm Forest. Even though the weather was turning colder the giant trees refused to yield much to the elements; they had a mind of their own, she liked to think. Everything in this forest did. Without man's interference the land was free to cultivate on its own. Free to breathe. Free to grow. Free to _think_.

And yet for some reason humans seemed to think a brain was required to do something so easy, when half the time they ran around acting as if they didn't have one in the first place.

A soft growl pushed past Canis's lips―so fat and pink, yet easily susceptible to drying out and painfully splitting in this kind of weather. She hated it. Humans were fragile, _weak_ beings. How was it that they'd been able to survive all this time without fur? Or fangs and claws? How was it that, even without these things, they still managed to make a mess of everything?

' _Even that damn wizard_ …,' She clenched her jaw tightly and slammed her fist into a nearby tree. The bark scraped and bit her hand, sending sharp lances up pain tingling up and down her arm, through her fingers.

Ever since Sugawara had done _this_ to her, she'd been forced to suffer like a godawful human. At first learning how to maneuver a human body had been difficult, and she'd stumbled around like a newborn pup for days, but as time went by she'd explored her limits and found them extremely sorry. Then came the pain and bleeding once a month. For days at a time she'd be incapacitated―something that had hardly been a problem when she was a wolf―and it made her stink worse than a heap of fox dung. She couldn't keep up with the pack on their hunts, and her senses were dull, her big and oaf like appendages were horrid for stalking prey as well. Though the pack had still accepted her as their alpha, she was considerably weaker than them.

It was humiliating.

The brush rustled behind her and she whirled around, furiously sniffing the air to detect a scent. Before she could identify the intruder a dirty-brown snout poked through the leaves, followed by head with amber eyes.

' _Aries,_ ' she greeted coolly, turning her back on her second in command. ' _What news do you have concerning the humans on the northern border?_ '

The large wolf silently padded to her side and settled on his haunches, staring straight ahead. ' _They have not moved. It seems they are still trying to find a way into Grimm without engaging us._ '

' _Fools.'_ Canis spat a glob of saliva into the dirt and watched as it bubbled and pulled loose particles of soil into it. Standing, the woman turned to her friend and nodded to him. ' _Gather enough to form a small hunt and meet me at the edge where the humans are. We'll convince them to give up this pointless endeavor._ '

They turned on their heels as one, the wolf parting ways with the alpha. Canis pushed through the brush, feeling the rough leaves scrape over her exposed skin, the twigs poking at her feet and soil climbing between her toes. These feelings never used to bother her before, yet now, in this inept body, it irritated her like no other. As soon as she was clear of the undergrowth she began to run.

The wind yanked at her hair, long enough that she could wrap it around herself like a layer of fur during the chilling nights, pulling and tangling it into something that resembled a briar bush. She'd seen what the humans called a reflection― _her_ reflection―and knew that if any real human were to see her they'd run screaming demon. Or witch. To be honest she didn't care which, so long as they were terrified of her. It was an amusing thought, to say the least. And she was betting on it to work against those stupid men patrolling the outer part of _her_ forest.

Canis slowed down, opening her mouth to test the air. Moist, earthy scents cloyed her nose, the sweet tang of rain clinging to the soil still. Beyond that she tasted the foliage, the brittle and drying greens sharp and refreshing. But there, at the perimeter of the forest, was something that did not belong. The stench of man polluted that portion of the forest; sweat, bile, blood. Urine, feces, infection. Everything. It was horrible enough to make the young alpha close her mouth and gag.

She sunk to her haunches and slowly crawled forward to hide behind a tree and observe the humans at work. Men, some armored with the hide of farm animals, others with metal that glinted in the light of their fires, patrolled the area to and fro, to and fro. Some clustered around the dreaded flames and ate meals―meals that sent almost confusing aromas into the air―and roared with deep, belly filled laughter into the night. Few tents were pitched to show how small this band of men were, but the largest tent in the center also suggested that there was some form of importance riding with them, driving their purpose for being here.

Her hackles rose and she turned around just as Aries strode forth with the other members of their hunt. She relaxed and returned her attention to the encampment before her, gesturing for the others to do the same. Each wolf took their position between the trees and awaited her signal. When a pair of men turned away, leaving their backs exposed to the forest, Canis growled.

' _Attack!_ '

 **{ ❌ }**

Oikawa gave up on studying the map, falling back into his seat with a sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose. Though he'd gone over it a dozen times he knew that there was only one logical solution to his problem: The path that led through Grimm Forest was the only way to get to Karasuno. If he were to go by the Sea route then he would be leaving his kingdom open in more than one direction, as he would be taking a vast majority of his army to face the Crows in their own kingdom. Karasuno could somehow find a way through Grimm Forest that he could not and launch attacks on his while he and his men were stuck on boats in the middle of the sea. And if Karasuno weren't to attack, then Shiratorizawa had every ample opportunity to pick up the slack.

Grimm only covered half the distance that the Sea route did, and marching was more reliable than a boat.

He blew a frustrated sigh out his nose, letting his hand fall onto his lap.

The flap of his tent rustled and he looked up in time to see his second in command ducking inside. Iwaizumi stood straight for a moment before bowing. The moment he had finished with protocol, though, the spiky haired man relaxed and calmly walked up to the table to looked over the maps Oikawa had given up on.

"We're not going to have a choice, are we?" The general sighed, resting the palms of his hands on the table, leaning forward with his head tiredly bowed.

The king merely sighed in agreement, not really in the mood to talk. After arriving at the edge of Grimm Forest then he had been busy with the rest of the men testing how far into the forest they could get before the wolves forced them back out. Their results were unsurprisingly pitiful. Ever since the previous Alpha, Aquila, had banned humans access to Grimm then hardly anyone had dared attempt to go through it for fear of death. They'd been there for half a week in hopes of catching an audience with the current Alpha, Canis Major, and convincing her to let them pass. At the end of the day though he'd been forced to retire to his quarters and study useless maps in hopes of somehow finding a different path to the other side.

"Perhaps we'd have a chance with our numbers." Iwaizumi's muttering broke through the dull ache that had slowly been building up in Oikawa's mind. He carefully watched the general pour over the maps through half lidded eyes, admiring, and not for the first time, his friend's dedication to a task.

As if sensing his gaze, Iwaizumi looked up. He narrowed his sharp eyes and put the maps down. "You look like shit. Go to bed. We'll figure this out in the morning."

Oikawa scoffed, rubbing his face. Even though Iwaizumi was right about needing to go to sleep, he just _couldn't_. There was a problem placed before him that he wanted―no, _needed_ to solve. The solution was right in front of him, he knew it, but no matter how hard he looked it remained invisible. He couldn't rest knowing that his answer was so close.

Iwaizumi opened his mouth, prepared to argue, when a high, unearthly howl rose above the sounds of the camp. It faded back into nothing only to be responded with more howling; deep, rough, and angered howling. The sounds rolled over one another until it coalesced into one giant howl looping over itself like a wave.

"The wolves are attacking!"

The shout had Oikawa shooting out of his seat, grabbing his discarded sword nearby, and racing out of the tent with Iwaizumi at his heels. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the shadows writhe between the tents, tracking them, marking them.

"Stay close to the fire!" he yelled. The men repeated the command and soon those that were scattered were drawing close and forming a unit. Oikawa and Iwaizumi joined them, placing their backs to the scorching heat and faces to the moving shadows. He unsheathed his sword and the scrape of metal against scabbards filled the air as others followed his example.

"Hold steady. Don't attack until they do. Bring them to us."

The seconds ticked by, becoming minutes as the wolves dragged it out.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

A bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck. His arm grew heavier as he held his sword higher in challenge to a shadow. Golden eyes gleamed in the firelight whenever a wolf passed through the patches of light between the men.

The wolves stopped and raised their heads to the sky, howling as one before charging. He sprung forward and danced past a wolf with fur blacker than the night, swinging his sword. The tip sliced through flesh and the beast yelped before backing up to attack him again. Oikawa swung the sword back and forth in a wide arc to keep it away. It growled at him, taking a step forward.

Suddenly it stiffened, cocking its head to side as if listening for something. Before he could properly react the beast turned and ran off to attack someone else. Oikawa frowned and took a step forward.

The hairs raised on his neck and he whirled around, brandishing his weapon, only to freeze in place at what he saw.

A woman, perhaps no older than himself, stood in a half crouch no more than three strides away from him. If it weren't for the flickering light of the fire he might have missed her at first glance; her bare body was covered in so many layers of dirt it was impossible to even tell if she was human. Golden eyes glared at him from between curtains of matted, brittle hair. It was so long and thickly tangled, twigs and leaves had gotten caught in it without a hope to ever make it out again.

He gaped at her, dumbfounded. She snarled at him, pulling her lips back to reveal almost canine like teeth.

Oikawa took an uncertain step back and the woman―demon more like―lunged with a vicious sweep of a clawed hand. His cheek burned where broken nails had raked across the flesh. Absently, Oikawa reached up and touched the edges of the wound, barely feeling its depth as warm liquid seeped down his face. When he pulled his fingers away they were tipped with blood. He looked back at the woman just as she crashed into him, pinning his shoulders to the ground with her knees and knocking his sword out of his grasp.

Clumsily, she grabbed fistfuls of his tunic and slammed down, hard. Air flew out his lungs in a great gust as spots appeared in his vision. The woman leaned in close until they were nose to nose. Oikawa nearly gagged at the stench; soil and sweat and wet dog. He _hated_ the smell of a wet dog.

" _Leave_!" He ceased squirming beneath her firm grasp and stared back into those unnaturally bright eyes. Oikawa couldn't tell if he'd imagined it or not. Had she really just spoken? He hadn't seen her mouth move, and yet it had sounded so close, almost as if it had been right in his ear.

Just as he was about to see if she would speak again a pair of large hands gripped the woman by her shoulders and yanked her off of him.

"What are you doing?!" Iwaizumi yelled, dropping to his knees as he wrestled with the she-devil. "Don't just lay around like a damn cockered craven!"

He grit his teeth and sprung to his feet, jumping into the brawl with his friend. The woman snapped at them repeatedly, jerking her head back and forth if they came within biting range. Iwaizumi struggled to keep a hold on her wrists as she bucked and kicked. Oikawa narrowly avoided getting decked by her flying limbs, helping the general to flip her onto her stomach and pin her arms to her back.

A wolf howled and she raised her head as high as possible to respond. They grabbed her head at the same time and pushed her face into the dirt, still wolves made no response. Nothing came barreling out of the shadows to knock them over. Nothing howled or barked at them to release the woman. Nothing came to save her.

Eventually the rest of his men gathered around them, appearing one by one in a circle. The woman struggled harder, as if sensing she were becoming more and more trapped by the second.

"Did it come with the wolves?" One of the men murmured.

"Is it a demon?"

"Have the wolves been raising a human all this time? Is that even possible?"

Oikawa and Iwaizumi looked at each other, mulling over these questions.

"I've never heard of Grimm wolves taking in a human― Except for in legends that are hundreds of years old of course." The general looked down at the thrashing woman. "Regardless, what are we supposed to do with her?"

The woman fought to raise her head, gnashing those incredibly sharp teeth together. " _I am not human! I am Alpha! I am Canis Major!_ "

Everyone took a collective step back. Even Iwaizumi leaned away, and he almost lost his grip. Oikawa slowly blinked. Though the woman was considerably further away from him this time her voice still seemed to echo in his ear as if she were right next to him. It rasped with disuse and fumbled with unfamiliarity of spoken words, yet in undertones it came in disembodied and powerful. As the woman twisted around her eyes locked with his and for a mere moment he could see the wolf in her.

"Take her to my tent," he murmured. "If she really _is_ Canis Major then I would like to speak with her in private."

Iwaizumi shifted. "Hey―"

"That's an order, Iwaizumi."

The general nodded stiffly before proceeding to stand up, dragging the woman with him. Oikawa brushed the dirt off his knees and followed with the rest of his men only a step behind, whispers joining the chorus of the night. Iwaizumi gripped the woman's arms with one hand and opened the flap of the tent with the other before forcing her inside. Quickly, the king strode forward and entered his quarters, waving off his knight with only one command: Make sure she didn't come out.

Once the thick fabric fell back into place it was just the two of them and the silence.

Oikawa turned on the balls of his feet, lacing his hands comfortably behind his back. The woman that claimed to be the Alpha of the wolves watched him from the floor, balancing on the tips of her toes and fingers with her back arched high in the air, as if she were expecting another attack. With the light of the large candles placed on his makeshift table it was easier to see her features; the mud smeared all over her body, covering her inch for inch in almost sickening layers; the putrid stormy color of her hair―if that wasn't just more muck; cuts and bruises, nicks and scars, broken nails with dirt buried under them, and old stains of blood. Even though she was completely naked he couldn't find it in himself to feel self-conscious about staring at her when she looked an absolute mess.

He stalked closer, stopping as close as he dared once a low growl rose from the back of her throat. It wasn't a sound a human could easily replicate, coming off more savage and animalistic than he'd ever heard in his life.

"What is your name?" he asked, beginning with the obvious. He wanted to see if she would talk again, and if she would continue to stick with her original claim. "Don't try to play mute, I know you can speak, and clearly you can understand me."

The muscles near her nose feathered, cracked lips slowly rising into a half snarl.

" _Canis Major_."

He cocked his head to the side. Again, her voice―it wavered in different tones, from different aspects. As if she were speaking with both her mouth and mind. Oikawa knew that certain kinds of animals had been blessed with the ability to communicate telepathically, both with each other and the humans, and the wolves of Grimm Forest were most adept with this talent. But never in his life had he heard of or known a human to be capable of such a feat. Wizards were skilled in many areas of magic, but even they could not access features of the mind to such an extraordinary level.

It was incredibly peculiar.

"If you truly are Canis Major then why are you not a wolf?"

She barked. " _I am wolf. Always wolf. Never human. Only trapped as one._ "

"Trapped?"

" _Cursed_ ," she spat, beginning to pace. Two steps from side to side. " _Wretched wizard. Damn humans. All your fault._ "

His eyebrows steadily traveled beyond his hairline as he watched the agitated woman pace, truly acting like a dog. Curses were a common thing, and could happen for any reason, as Yahaba, his wizard, had once said. It could happen because of death, from one person to another, from an individual to a group, from one's own self. The list of reasons could go on and on in endless cycles. But for the leader of the wolves to have been cursed, and for a wizard to have done it… What on earth happened? And how long has she been like this?

"Is there a way to undo this curse?"

Canis ceased her pacing and looked at him, disdain practically glowing in her eyes.

" _Accept humans as they are, or forever live like one_."

Oikawa wasn't certain why he looked to the maps in that moment, still carelessly littered across the table, but it was as if a key had been placed in the lock and turned until it clicked open. He finally found the answer to his problem.

Slowly, Oikawa began to walk around his desk to a crate where he always kept some spare rope, never turning his back to the wolf-woman. He reached inside and grabbed the course material, twisting it around and around in his hands as he did so, making it appear as if he just needed something to occupy himself with as he did so.

"It sounds to me like you need to learn to be human before you can accept them." He casually made his way back around the table, looping the rope through a hole before tightly knotting it. "I can offer you a way to do just that―in exchange for something of course."

When she didn't say anything he carried on. "You see, I need a quick way to get myself and about ten thousand men to the south. The path that leads through Grimm is the only way." Oikawa turned to look at the Alpha, tying another knot. "In exchange for my help I'd like for you to grant me and my men passage through the forest."

Her face contorted with the ugliest grimace he'd seen yet. " _Never! Law is law: No humans._ "

"A shame," he said after a moment of quiet. Oikawa knelt down and wrapped the rope around a leg of the table. As he tied off the last of the rope he turned to her and smiled. "Well, it was worth a try."

Before she could utter another word―or in her case, a snarl―his hand snaked out and snatched her wrist, pulling her forward with a sharp tug. Canis yelped in surprise as she practically fell into his lap. Oikawa swiftly slipped the noose like rope over her hand and pulled the cord until it was tight and snug around her wrist. The Alpha hissed, desperately biting and clawing at her bonds while constantly sending him looks that could kill.

The king stood up and looked down at the she-wolf, a smug grin he hardly bothered to conceal tracing his devilish features.

"From this point on until you change your mind, you are now my prisoner. I humbly welcome you into my kingdom, Aoba Johsai, Canis Major."

{ ❌ }

* * *

 _((Redonix Note: I honestly should not be starting anything until I finish at least one of my other stories but I had this idea and I needed to at least get the first chapter down and out of the way. If anyone is actually interested in me continuing this story I gladly will, though :D))_


End file.
